Sony's Internet Player with Google TV lets users download apps from Google Play, access a full web browser and search for television content. / Sony

by Marc Saltzman, Special for USA TODAY

by Marc Saltzman, Special for USA TODAY

One of the most exciting home theater trends is the fusion between your television and the Internet.

Most new HDTVs let you access online content from the comfort of your favorite chair or sofa, be it social-networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, video-streaming services such as YouTube and Netflix, or on-demand news, weather, sports scores, stock quotes and other personalized information.

But not everyone can afford one of these new smart TVs.

Instead, set-top boxes can also do the trick, at a fraction of the price.

Usually about $100, these small devices connect to your current television, as well as your wireless (Wi-Fi) network, though most also offer an Ethernet jack for those who prefer to use a wired connection.

Here's a closer look at a few of the bigger players in this space:

Apple TV

A tad bigger than a deck of cards, Apple TV ($99) is a small black box that lets you rent commercial-free TV shows and movies from iTunes; access various online video services (some for free, like YouTube, while others are subscription-based, such as Netflix or MLB.com); and you can stream media from your home computer, such as music and video, as long as the files are in your iTunes folder.

Unlike the other set-top boxes, Apple TV supports Apple's AirPlay technology, which lets you wirelessly stream content to your television via your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch - to display photos or play music and videos on your big-screen in real time. AirPlay also lets you mirror what's on your smartphone or tablet screen, be it games, apps such as Facebook or Twitter, Web browser, e-mail and more.

A small remote is included, or you can download a free Remote app, to navigate through Apple TV's features. The minimalist interface is clean and intuitive.

For shortcomings, Apple's box doesn't provide as many apps as other set-top boxes, nor does it support as many media types (codecs). Also, there is no USB port to insert a thumb drive loaded with media.

Roku 2 XS

Similar to AppleTV, Roku 2 XS ($99.99) is a small, black set-top player you attach to your television via HDMI cable (recommended, but not included) or those red, yellow and white composite (RCA) cables, which are found in the box for standard-definition quality.

Once you've joined the Internet, wirelessly or with a cable, you can access more than 500 channels (apps). This includes streaming movies, TV shows and user videos from Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, HBO GO, Showtime, Crackle, Disney, DishWORLD and Vimeo (including support for top-of-the-line 1080p HD video). You can access live and on-demand sports (from the NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL and UFC), music (Pandora, Rdio, Slacker Radio and TuneIn Radio), photos and videos (from Facebook and Flickr) and news, weather and other info.

Oddly, there is no YouTube on Roku. And be aware some of the user-made videos are low-quality, including a handful of poorly produced cooking channels.

Like Apple TV, some channels are free to use, while some require a subscription, such as Netflix ($8 a month).

Along with a few interactive games, such as Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!, the mega-popular mobile game Angry Birds comes loaded on Roku 2 XS, where players use the remote to fling birds toward the evil pigs.

A USB port on the side of the Roku unit lets you insert a thumb drive with photos, videos and music, plus there's a microSD card slot at the back for additional game and channel storage, if needed.

WD TV Live

If it's media compatibility you want, Western Digital's WD TV Live ($99.99) is the set-top box to get. This small device will play virtually any file from your PC or Mac (wirelessly), networked hard drive or USB thumb stick.

The Wi-Fi-enabled WD TV Live also houses a number of built-in apps, focusing primarily on media (such as YouTube, Netflix, CinemaNow, Hulu Plus, VUDU, MLB.TV, Spotify and Pandora), as well as others such as Facebook and some interactive games.

Similar to AppleTV, this set-top box comes with a remote or you can control the content with the free WD TV Remote app on your Apple or Android device.

While not quite as clean as Apple TV, the WD TV Live interface is attractive and easy to use, plus you can customize the background photo of your home screen similar to your Windows desktop.

Sony Internet Player with Google TV

While twice the price of other set-top boxes in this roundup, Sony's Internet Player with Google TV ($199.99) offers a number of features not found in the competition.

About the size of a hardcover book, this product adds familiar Google services to your big-screen television -- including access to the Google Play store to download hundreds of apps and a Google Chrome Web browser to search and surf.

By connecting your cable or satellite box, this media player lets you search for content from both your television provider and online media, or even watch live TV full-screen while browsing the Web via picture-in-picture.

The double-sided remote is excellent. On one side, it has a couple of buttons and a touch pad, so you can use your fingertips like a mouse, while on the other side it's a full qwerty keyboard. There's an internal sensor that knows which side of the remote you're using so you won't accidentally press something you don't want to underneath. A downside to the remote, however, is you must use buttons on the side to channel up and down, which doesn't feel very natural.

The player comes with 8 gigabytes of memory, which is ample for downloading many dozens of apps. Some require a subscription like NHL.com, while others are free, such as Gmail. Apps loaded quickly (except for NASCAR) and the 1080p video quality was excellent for most apps, including Sony's Video Unlimited.

Because this box has Bluetooth support, you could buy a compatible keyboard and mouse for your coffee table, if you like.

The biggest issue with this ambitious box is occasional freezing, which forces the user to turn off the unit or temporarily unplug it from the wall. Hopefully, a free software update will soon remedy the situation.